


The Night Before

by 2_for_a_penny



Series: Newsies Short Fics [21]
Category: Newsies, Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Angst, Canon Era, M/M, No regerts, SO, Unrequited Love, but also it was perfect, im the big sad, its sad hour bois
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-07
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-23 18:37:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17688755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/2_for_a_penny/pseuds/2_for_a_penny
Summary: Finch doesn't remember his promise to Albert. Albert wishes he could remember anything but.





	The Night Before

**Author's Note:**

> Its sad hour bois. Enjoy me hurting Albert. yeet

Albert’s head was running a million miles a minute. The night before, he had been walking with Finch through the alleys. They had stolen a small bottle of alcohol and were sharing it within the comfort of the shadows of the dark city. They laughed and whispered, slowly getting tipsier as they went on. They rested their backs against the cool bricks of a building, bodies pressed against each other, faces barely inches apart. It was there, under the starry night, hidden by the buildings around them, that Albert really saw Finch. The dim lights from the streetlamps reflected in Finch’s eyes, making them glimmer. Albert gasped as they seemed to glint for him. They both held onto a breath before slowly leaning together. They panted softly, foreheads gently touching, then Albert tilted his head and their lips met. Albert could’ve sworn his entire world lit up in that moment. 

They reluctantly parted, a satisfying noise marking their separation. Their warm breaths mingled as they let out a shaky laugh, not dropping their gaze from the other’s face. 

“Tell me we won’t forget this is the morning.” Albert pleaded, grabbing one of Finch’s hands in his, pressing it to his chest.

“I wouldn’t forget this for anything.” Finch whispered back, and closed the gap between them once again.

000000

Albert was seeing red. His head had been filled with nothing but clouds all morning, he and Finch finally expressed their feelings, they kissed. He couldn’t believe it actually happened, but he wouldn’t dare imagine it wasn’t real. But now, he was turning the corner like a steam roller, determined to make it back to the lodging house before anyone saw him. 

Albert had been looking everywhere for Finch all morning, but he was nowhere. Well, until Albert found Finch and some random floozy in a pink skirt tucked away in an alley, their alley. They were moulded to each other, as if a single bit of space would separate them entirely. Albert should have looked away sooner, but he couldn’t. His eyes were glued to the hands around the girl’s waist. The ones he held against his heart with forbidden promises the night before, right where they stood. 

Albert’s eyes were filled with water. The whip of the wind against him as he flew down the street stung his face and made the tears worse. He launched himself through the door to the lodging house and up to his bunk. He buried his face in his pillow and let out a half sob half scream. He wanted to keep screaming until his throat couldn’t take it anymore, but someone entered the room.

“Albert! What the hell is wrong with you!” Finch was red, huffing attempting to catch his breath, his hand still on the knob to the door.

Albert closed his eyes, willing the tears to stop, but they only flowed harder. 

“Albert! Tell me why I just caught you staring at me and the girl I’ve been after for a week now in the alley?”

Albert knitted his eyebrows, his mouth puckering. He stared at Finch, as if allowing him a moment to take back what he said, tell him it was all a stupid prank, but he didn’t. 

“Wait, are you serious?” Albert questioned, his face stone. 

“Of course I’m serious! I want to know why one of my friends started crying and running away from me! What the hell is wrong with you? She’s never going to speak to me again!” Albert’s mouth was hanging wide open. He couldn’t believe the words spilling from his friend, no more than his friend’s, mouth. 

“We’re not just friends and you fucking know it!” Albert yelled back at him. Finch cocked his head.

“What are you on about?” 

“Last night! In that same fucking alley! You and me, we kissed!” Albert was closer to Finch now, almost face to face.

“Nothing happened last night Albert. You got drunk, I brought you home, that’s all.” Finch turned away, breathing hard, but his voice stern and steady.

“Yes it did! We kissed and you told me you would never forget it, how could you already go back on that Finchy?” Albert put himself back in Finch’s line of sight.

“Don’t call me that.” Finch nearly whispered.

“You can’t keep pretending it didn’t happen, cause guess what? It did!” Albert threw his hands into the air, there’s no way Finch could forget. He had to remember, he promised. He had to, maybe…

“Albert, nothing happen-” He was cut off by Albert grabbing his face and crashing their lips together.

Albert’s eyes were squeezed shut so tightly, he could feel the tears spilling over, most definitely dripping onto Finch’s cheeks, but he didn’t care. Finch had to remember. 

Albert didn’t let go until he was shoved off. He stumbled backwards and stared into Finch’s eyes, searching for any signs of recollection. All he saw was emptiness, none of the glistening light from the night before. He hadn’t remembered. 

“Albert! Get the fuck off of me! I don’t know what you’re doing, but I don’t want to be a part of your sick game. Stay away from me. Please.” 

With that, Finch stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. All Albert could do was watch him leave. He dropped to his knees and let the tears take over. Finch hadn’t remembered, or Finch didn’t want to remember. Either way, he wanted nothing of what he promised the night before. 

Albert put a hand over his heart, he could feel the empty throbbing of his heart against his chest. The sobs took over him, he couldn’t take a full breath, he felt like the room was closing in around him. Every breath was a gasp for air. He willed his body to stop, he tried to breathe, but his breath hitched, leaving him without oxygen. He felt his face turning purple, his entire body felt like it was on fire, his chest heaving sparratically. 

He finally fell on his back and closed his eyes, letting his body do what it had to do. All the while, he pictured Finch’s eyes. The bright, wide eyes that reflected the light of the city, the streetlamps, and Albert’s hope. Albert silently begged for those eyes to come back. Instead, he was left dying of heartbreak, alone, the eyes dimming in his mind with every passing second.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Be sure to leave those kudos and comments, I love hearing from ya’ll. Any requests? Suggestions? Hit me up on Tumblr @2-for-a-penny


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